In the 2022/23 season, PlusLiga has undergone an evolution, because after the current campaign, two more teams have appeared in the volleyball elite. Now there are talks about further changes and a possible increase in the limit of foreigners. Aluron CMC President Warta Zawierce believes that we have allowed ourselves to be convinced that fewer foreigners create the strength of the national team. “Of course this is not true,” he added.
PlusLiga has changed before the current season. Two teams joined the volleyball elite - Ukrainian Barkom-Kazany Lviv and BBTS Bielsko-Biala. In connection with this change, there were other ideas, for example, to increase the limit of foreigners, which currently stands at a maximum of three foreigners per field.
Polish Volleyball League spokesman Kamil Skladowski spoke on this topic on TVP Sport, who acknowledged that this topic pops up from time to time and there was a similar conversation before this season. “The club presidents have made it clear that they want to seriously consider expanding the limit to four foreigners,” he added.
Crispin Baran: We allowed ourselves to be convinced that the limit strengthens the strength of the team
Crispin Baran, president of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, admitted in an interview with TVP Sport that the issue of the limit comes up every year and is viewed “as a politically sensitive topic.” - For some reason, we allowed ourselves to be persuaded that a smaller limit of foreigners builds the strength of the national team. This, of course, is not true, he said.
According to the President Warta Zawiercie, the talent worthy of presentation is revealed in the first years of playing at a professional level. – As testified, for example, by Bartosz Kwolek, Tomas Fornal or Norbert Huber. The fear of the limit change is probably due to the fact that it is interesting what the ministry and the volleyball community think about it, says Crispin Baran.
Crispin Baran on fears: they can be counteracted
According to the president of Aluron CMC, there are legitimate concerns that with the increase in the limit, clubs may be looking for players in too large a group of foreigners. “To counteract this, a significant restriction can be introduced - for example, a player must be a representative of his country and play X matches in these colors,” he continued.
According to Crispin Baran, this is not discrimination, but a qualitative limit that the league has the right to set. “I think we can come up with something that allows us to limit player contracts just to keep the budget down,” he admits.
Source: Wprost
